Practical tips to reduce your heating and cooling costs in the OKC metro area.
Thermostat Settings That Save Money
Set your thermostat to 78°F in summer and 68°F in winter. Each degree of adjustment saves about 3% on that season's energy bill. Use a programmable or smart thermostat to automatically adjust when you're away or sleeping. In Oklahoma, this alone can save $200-$400/year.
Air Sealing and Insulation
Oklahoma homes lose a massive amount of energy through poor insulation and air leaks. Check attic insulation — Oklahoma homes should have R-38 to R-49 (13-17 inches of blown fiberglass). Seal gaps around windows, doors, electrical outlets on exterior walls, and where pipes enter the house. Add weatherstripping to exterior doors. These improvements can reduce heating and cooling costs by 15-25%.
HVAC Efficiency Upgrades
Replace your air filter monthly during peak use — a dirty filter can increase energy consumption by 15%. Schedule annual professional maintenance to keep your system running at peak efficiency. If your system is 15+ years old, replacing it with a modern high-efficiency unit (16+ SEER AC, 96%+ AFUE furnace) can cut energy bills by 30-40%. Seal your ductwork — leaky ducts in attics and crawl spaces waste 20-30% of your conditioned air.
Oklahoma-Specific Tips
Use ceiling fans to supplement cooling (counter-clockwise in summer, clockwise in winter). Close blinds on south and west-facing windows during summer afternoons. Plant shade trees on the south and west sides of your home for long-term savings. Consider a whole-house fan for spring and fall evenings when outside air is pleasant. Ask ARP Heat And Air about energy audits to identify your biggest energy waste areas.
At ARP Heat And Air, we've been helping Oklahoma homeowners with their HVAC needs since 2011. Our owner Charlie brings 14+ years of hands-on experience and is known for giving honest, practical advice — not trying to upsell you on services you don't need.
If you have questions or need HVAC service in the OKC metro area, give us a call at (405) 413-0583. We offer free estimates, same-day service, and 24/7 emergency response.
Based in Edmond, OK, we serve 19 cities across the Oklahoma City metro area. Oklahoma CIB License #00125054.
Highest-ROI Changes First
Not all energy improvements save equally. Here's the order we'd recommend tackling them, worst to best ROI.
Highest ROI — free or $50-100: Thermostat adjustments. Every degree on your setpoint is worth 3-5% on your bill. Set it 2° warmer in summer, 2° cooler in winter — real savings, zero upfront cost. Adding a smart thermostat ($100-$250) typically saves 10-15% through pattern learning.
High ROI — $200-500: Attic insulation. Most Oklahoma homes built before 2000 have R-19 or less in the attic. Current best practice is R-38 to R-49. Adding blown cellulose is cheap and high-impact. Typical savings 10-15% on both heating and cooling bills.
Medium ROI — $300-800: Air sealing. Caulk around window frames, foam seal around can lights and plumbing penetrations, weatherstrip doors. Less exciting but typically 5-10% bill reduction on leaky older homes.
Medium ROI — $400-1,200: Duct sealing (professional work). Leaky ductwork can lose 20-30% of your conditioned air. Professional aeroseal or manual sealing pays back in 2-4 years.
Lower ROI — $1,500-$3,000: Window replacement. Satisfying but expensive. Typically 5-10% bill reduction. Payback period 10-15 years. Only worth doing if windows are genuinely failing.
Only sometimes worth it — $10,000+: Solar. Depends heavily on home orientation, OG&E/AEP rate structure, and available federal incentives. Get 3+ quotes and check actual payback math before committing.